Celebrities You Didn't Know Were Adopted

#1 Kristin Davis

Kristin Davis was adopted by her stepfather when she was three years old. She says she couldn't imagine calling anyone else "Dad."

Awww. That's so sweet!

#2 Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was abandoned by her widowed mother, and she spent much of her childhood in foster homes.

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926. Her mother, Gladys Baker, was mentally unstable and financially unable to care for her, so she placed her with foster parents whom she lived with until she was 7. Not long after her mother attempted to get Marilyn back, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised; Marilyn has then declared a ward of the state and her mother's best friend, Grace McKee, became her legal guardian. That only lasted for a few years, and Marilyn was sent to the Hollygrove Orphanage in LA — and then a series of foster homes — before returning to Grace McKee's home.

Unfortunately, Grace and her husband were about to move to the East Coast and could not take Marilyn with them. They approached the mother of a neighbour, James Dougherty, about him marrying Marilyn. They tied the knot just weeks after she turned 16 so that she wouldn't have to return to foster care or an orphanage.

#3 Faith Hill

Faith Hill was adopted as an infant and raised in Mississippi by her adoptive parents. When Faith was an adult, she searched for and found, her biological mother. She was able to meet with her biological mother and corresponded with her until her mother's death.

She said:

“Having been adopted, I really have a strong sense- a necessity almost- for stability, a foundation where my family is concerned. [Success] would be meaningless without anyone to share it with.”

“I have a lot of respect for my birth mother… I know she must have had a lot of love for me to want to give what she felt was a better chance.”

#4 Steve Jobs

The founder of Apple Computers, Steve Jobs, was placed for adoption by his unwed mother, who was attending graduate school at the time. Because his biological father was a Muslim, her parents objected to their relationship.

The late Apple CEO was given up at birth in 1955 and quickly adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, a San Francisco couple who were unable to have children.

#5 JC Chasez

The former *NSYNC member was born in 1976, and his biological mother handed him over to her former foster parents, Roy and Karen Chasez, in the hopes that they could provide him with an education and stable home life.JC Chasez was raised by foster parents who eventually adopted him when he was five years old!

#6 Bill Clinton

It is a little-known fact that former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was adopted by his grandparents.

Bill Clinton was born to a widowed mother and was sent to live with his grandparents as a child. He is only the second president in U.S. history to have been adopted (Gerald Ford is the other).

“We must work tirelessly to make sure that every boy and girl in America who is up for adoption has a family waiting to reach him or her. This is a season of miracles, and perhaps there is no greater miracle than finding a loving home for a child who needs one.”

#7 Dave Thomas

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, was adopted at six weeks old. He also created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

#8 Jamie Foxx

Jaime Foxx was sent to live with his grandparents from birth.The Oscar winner was adopted by his grandma when he was seven months old after his parents split up.

#9 Nelson Mandela

The late politician and peace activist were adopted and raised by a tribe chief and his wife at the age of 9, shortly after his biological father's death.

#10 Eartha Kitt

Sultry singer and actress Eartha Kitt was born on a South Carolina cotton farm in 1927. She was raised by a black woman named Anna Mae Riley, whom she believed to be her mother. When she was 8 years old, Anna Mae began dating a man who refused to accept Eartha in his home because of her light complexion; she was soon sent to NYC to live with Anna Mae's sister, her "aunt" Mamie Kitt, who she later found was her biological mother. She never met or knew anything about her father, except that he was white and that his family owned the farm where she was born.

#11 Nicole Polizzi

Nicole Polizzi, better known as "Snooki," was adopted at 6 months old by her Italian-American parents. Nicole was born in Chile.

#12 John Lennon

After his parents separated and decided they could no longer care for him, John Lennon was adopted by his aunt and uncle. He had a difficult childhood, often feeling abandoned by his biological parents, who were in and out of his life.

#13 Nicole Richie

Nicole was adopted by singer Lionel Richie and his then-wife Brenda when she was 9 years old. She was born Nicole Camille Escovedo, and her biological parents are Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who toured briefly with Lionel, and Karen Moss, an assistant to Nicole's aunt, singer and drummer Sheila E. When Nicole was four, her birth parents agreed to let her move in with Lionel and Brenda, as they were unable to care for her financially. About being adopted, Nicole has said, "My parents were friends with Lionel. They trusted that they would be better able to provide for me."

#14 Debbie Harry

The Blondie frontwoman was born in Miami and adopted by Catherine and Richard Smith Harry, a New Jersey couple. Debbie grew up there, and after college, she moved to NYC, where she worked as a waitress, go-go dancer, and Playboy bunny before starting her epic singing career.

#15 Michael Bay

Michael Bay, the Transformers director, was adopted as a child. He revealed in an interview that he spent most of his life trying to look for his biological mother. He also never figured out who his real dad is.

Michael likes to joke that Steven Spielberg is his dad because he shares his "creative DNA."

#16 Sarah McLachlan

Born in Canada, Sarah McLachlan was adopted by an American couple shortly after her birth. Sarah's two brothers are also adopted and she has been able to meet her biological mother.

#17 Babe Ruth

After losing six of his seven siblings to disease and poverty, Babe Ruth was placed in an orphanage by his biological parents at the age of 7. It was in the orphanage that he met Brother Matthias, who taught him to play baseball.

#18 Kristin Chenoweth

Kristin Chenoweth was adopted when she was only five days old. I wonder who she has to thank for her acting and singing talent!

#19 Ice T

Law & Order: SVU is so much better with Ice-T, right?! Well, before he was catching all the bad guys in NYC, he was adopted by his aunts! When he was 8, his mother passed away from a heart attack, and just four years later, he lost his father the same way. His aunts quickly knew that they needed to help and adopted him!

#20 Frances McDormand

The Fargo actress was born in Chicago and adopted by a Canadian-born couple. Her adoptive father was a pastor, and Frances has since said that her biological mother may have been one of the parishioners at his church.

#21 Melissa Gilbert

Melissa was born in LA in 1964. One day later, she was adopted by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and his wife, actress Barbara Crane. It was these Hollywood connections that helped Melissa land the role of Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie (her adopted brother Jonathan also starred on the hit show). Her parents divorced when she was 8, and her mother remarried and gave birth to Melissa's half-sister Sara Gilbert, who starred on Roseanne and is now married to music producer Linda Perry.

#22 Ingrid Bergman

This Casablanca star was sent to live with her aunt when she was thirteen.

#23 Ray Liotta

This Goodfellas star was adopted at the age of six months. Over 40 years later, Ray hired a private investigator to find his birth mother.

#24 Liz Phair

Rocker Liz Phair was born in Connecticut in 1967. She was raised in Illinois by her adoptive parents, Nancy, a historian at the Art Institute of Chicago, and John, an AIDS researcher at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.